NHRA makes debut at New England Dragway

Friday

Jun 21, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Terrill CoveyPortsmouth Herald

EPPING — The weather should be clear and sunny this weekend, but there will be thunder rolling through the skies of Epping, as the National Hot Rod Association makes its first stop at the New England Dragway for the Auto-Plus NHRA New England Nationals.

The top level of drag racing competition has never held an event in Epping, and with an expected influx of 17,000 to 20,000 people, fans, event organizers and NHRA officials alike are expecting a big welcome. Qualifying events began Thursday and will continue through Saturday, with the headlining Mello Yello Series eliminations starting Sunday at 11 a.m.

This year’s race is the first in a 10-year agreement between the New England Dragway and the NHRA. Joe Lombardo, the general manager at New England Dragway, is excited for the event, saying the opportunity to host the best the sport has to offer is great for the track, but it also great for fans of the sport who live in New England.

“We know there is a market for (the NHRA) here,” Lombardo said. “We have a solid base of motorsports fans. The closest event before this was in New Jersey, which is a long haul for most local fans. Coming to Epping is a relatively easy trip from southern Connecticut to eastern New York and Canada.”

Each of the top four divisions of NHRA competition will be in attendance, headlined by the Top Fuel dragsters, which reach in excess of 315 miles per hour; the legendary Funny Cars; Pro Stocks and Pro Stock Motorcycle divisions.

For those who are unfamiliar with the world of drag racing, the NHRA is basically the NASCAR of drag racing, which means all the top names in the sport will be in attendance. Reigning Top Fuel champion Antron Brown, 15-time Funny Car champion John Force, Pro Stock rivals Jeg Coughlin and Allen Johnson, as well as points leader Mike Edwards, and Pro Stock motorcycle star Hector Arana Jr., as well as many other top competitors will try to put their names in the record books as the first winners at the track.

Shawn Langdon, who sits second in the Top Fuel standings, is excited to compete at a new track in front of fans who are getting their first taste of the sport live.

“One of the things that I have really enjoyed the last couple of years is going to new venues,” Langdon said. “You get to meet a lot of different people and see a different style of living, and that’s always a lot of fun. Going to New Hampshire and New England Dragway, it’s great for the sport. It expands our horizons and hopefully the fans will enjoy it. Part of the sport growing is going to new places and showing them a good time.”

For Lombardo and the staff at New England Dragway, the event offers a chance to give local fans an experience they might otherwise have little chance of seeing. The two closest races to New England had been in New Jersey and Pennsylvania prior to this year, so Lombardo expects to see a crowd that is hungry to watch and meet the NHRA stars.

Lombardo said one thing that makes attending an NHRA race a unique event for fans is that you have pit access throughout the event and you can get up close and personal with your favorite drivers. He said that type of access to the stars is unparalleled among professional sports of any kind.

“We’re excited and very proud to have this opportunity to host an NHRA event,” he said. “It’s great that our track gets to be a part of bringing an event like this to fans in the area. This is a great event for kids and families as well. Kids under 12 get in free and they get to see their heroes first hand and come away with a positive feeling from it.”

In addition to the fans at the track benefitting from the event, Lombardo said it should be a boon to the entire community. He said they anticipate each of the 17,000 to 20,000 fans will spend an average of $450 while they are in the area, which will serve as a significant benefit to the local businesses, in addition to bringing a major event to the area for local fans.

Lombardo pointed out that they have made major investments and updates to the entire venue in order to prepare for the event, and they will continue making improvements over the next eight years to accommodate the event.

The improvements made through a $2 million investment in the venue including new permanent seating, which will continue to be expanded, a new tower and parking lot improvements.

He said in addition to the cars and racers, there will be a manufacturer’s midway and several food vendors, and fans can watch their favorites work on the cars between races.

“There is something for everybody,” he said. “And for us at New England Dragway to make the elite list of 24 tracks where the NHRA holds an event is really special. We’re very proud of that.”